9:22 am here and I am so excited about HITting today at All England.
Definitely on my bucket list.
I imagine every tennis player dreams of competing there, or just being there to watch our favs play.
I cannot wait, really.
Breakfast.
Pick up a few newspapers with the first pics of the future king and pack for my day and night at Wimbledon.
Several friends and students are flying over today and I can't wait to share this awesome experience.
And get them on the grass.
I have visions of running a drill for them.
Can you hear me shouting "do something good with that ball"?
Where can I get 300 balls? And a cart?
Hmmmm, where is the nearest Home Depot?
With the right tools, I can make one in a jiffy. (You should be laughing now because I made my travel cart)
FUGAZI, Ray calls it.
1:10pm
The morning match ups and court assignments arrived early.
Now, I am so super amped up, I can hardly stand myself.
NERVOUS.
Packed for the day of practice and cocktail party at the home of a member later.
Hope I did not forget anything, like my heels. Lol.
Lots of rules to follow.
Like no sneakers or jeans in the clubhouse.
My driver arrives at 1:45pm.
Did not want to be late like yesterday. So, no train for me today.
We all meet at 230pm, Gate 5. Church Road.
So, I arrive to The All England at 2:05pm and was driven right through the gates. Heaven.
I walked about and breathed in the history.
Took pics.
And just stood in awe of actually being AT Wimbledon.
My friends who live here in the UK arrived. Greeted them and we walked about taking it all in.
Then, I walked to the locker room.
THE locker room.
And chose a locker.
To my surprise, Raymond name tag was still hanging around... My locker is above Lisa's?
A fellow Pa player.
A fellow Middle States player.
Serendipity!
I am feeling like I belong here.
No feelings of OMG.
Walking down the hall and seeing all the past champions? So cool.
Imagining that the greats have walked this path I am walking right now? Surreal.
Stepping onto the court with the BIG sign reading Center Court? Wow.
The grass is soft and dry. Not like our moist grass.
And the bounce is a bounce.
Not like our no bounce, skid grass.
I took pics.
I filmed.
My friends took pics.
My friends filmed.
And even though I got the ladies in the locker room to give me the wifi code, I could not log on to post.
I am sitting on tons of footage and loads of film.
I finally got the right code tonight while having cocktails in the players lounge behind the Royal Box.
I was missing the @ in the very complicated code.
So, you will get to see what shots I will take tomorrow.
And by the way, it was way cool to walk out into the Royal Box, see the Ladies final signage still up and take in the Majesty of being there.
The court is being re sod at this time so none of us will get to play there. Sigh!
The cocktail party at the home of one of the members was very nice.
The hour bus ride to that location was well worth it.
I am back home now and almost packed for tomorrow's first day of competition.
I felt very good out there today.
Played 4 singles games and a set of doubles with my partner Fran Chandler.
I am ready.
It's past midnight.
I am second match on court 19 in the morning.
Good night!
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